How it Works

Reprogramming

As stated in the video above, to create an iPSC four genes or "factors" must be activated. These four genes are Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc. By wiping the genetic coding of a somatic cell and activating these "factors", the somatic cell will revert back to the state of an embryonic stem cell. To do this, the use of a retrovirus such as HIV is needed to inject the DNA into the cell.

W2.1

V1.1

Since the term "stem cell" was first used, science has advanced from taking stem cells from embryos, to reprogramming somatic cells into stem cells. During the process of "reprogramming" no genetic information is added or lost, just turned on or off.